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Why does Olbermann have the same guests on every night?

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killerbush Donating Member (822 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 08:29 PM
Original message
Why does Olbermann have the same guests on every night?
If you're like me, you watch Keith Olbermann every night as he takes on the Bush administration, and all its criminality. Keith is witty, smart, and generally has a great show. But I have one question, why does he have the same guests on almost every night?
Every week, many times 2 or 3 nights a week, we are treated to one of the following, Dana Milbank, Howard Fineman, Richard Wolffe or Mike Allen. Their are loads of other liberals he can have on his show, but he basically sticks to those four. I'm sure others would love to be on the show, and sit with Keith and have a grand old time in breaking down the obvious stupidity of Bush and his cohorts in crime. I would love to see Air America radio personalities like Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, or others like Thom Hartmann, or liberal members of Congress.
Keith, I love the show, and hope you have many more years on the air, but please, get some other people on the show besides the tired, stale 4 you have one all the time. Tweety has no problem booking guests, you shouldn't either.
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NYCGirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 08:31 PM
Response to Original message
1. Al Franken's been on there a number of times. But Milbank, Fineman,
Wolffe, etc. work for Newsweek, which is part of the same company as MSNBC.
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joemurphy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 08:37 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. And I wouldn't call either Milbank or Fineman "liberals" n/t
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0007 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 07:24 AM
Response to Reply #2
17. Isn't that the truth?
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Mend Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 08:42 PM
Response to Original message
3. It is not Keith's show....it belongs to MSNBC. eom
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killerbush Donating Member (822 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 08:46 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. it's not tweety's show either
but he never fails to get different people on his show.
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Mend Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 08:51 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. tweety must have more say-so than Keith....sad, isn't it. eom
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Berry Cool Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 08:54 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. He's had some different people on there.
Janeane Garofalo, for just one.

As for regulars, some other better ones he has include Craig Crawford and John Dean. Every time he has Dean on there to talk about current events, it's like comparing them to Watergate--only saying they're worse. It's great.
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Mend Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 09:05 PM
Response to Reply #6
8. but he has a hack on for our big moment: Cobert's shredding of
the right-wing noise machine.
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Freddie Stubbs Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 01:46 PM
Response to Reply #5
26. Why must he have more say?
:shrug:
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Mend Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 04:20 PM
Response to Reply #26
27. I have never watched tweety but the word is that he has a much
wider range of guests. I often watch Keith and it is the same few NBC people over and over again. I am guessing that Keith doesn't have the power to choose who is on the show. The other alternative is that he actually loves Dana Milbank and Mrs. Greenspan.
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NYCGirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 04:23 PM
Response to Reply #27
28. Matthews does have lots more Republicans on his show. NT
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Stinky The Clown Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 09:01 PM
Response to Original message
7. I think all those people you mention are in the NBC 'family'
They're, essentially, 'contract guests'. They not only do his show, but many other MSNBC shows, too. Fineman, for example is also on Tweety's show. Crawford is prety much everywhere.

What is even more interesting to me is how their tone changes from show to show. At one end of the spectrum, Crawford is pretty much the same, so i find him honest. Fineman, on the other hand, blows with the wind. he's always in synch with the host, no matter what the host's bent. He's a righty with Tweety, a lefty with KO, etc. He could easily be a journo superhero of sorts ...... you know .... Chameleon Man.
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blondeatlast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 10:24 PM
Response to Reply #7
14. Glad to see others have noticed this with Fineman.
The first time I saw him do it I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor.

I've also seen it on other shows besides Tweety's and KO.
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AtomicKitten Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 04:38 PM
Response to Reply #7
31. you're right ... they probably have a pool to draw from
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otohara Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 09:05 PM
Response to Original message
9. There's Never Any Women
Milbank, Fineman and Clarke are getting real old.


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Vickers Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 09:07 PM
Response to Original message
10. Dana Milbank was a total knobhead tonight.
"Waaaaahhhhhh, waaaaahhhhhhhh, Colbert wasn't funny."

IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY, YOU INBRED ASSCLOWN.

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johnnydrama Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 09:38 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. As far as i'm concerned
Right now he should have David Shuster on every night. He's doing the real reporting on that show. The others give a lot of opinion, but as long as Shuster is there to start off the show with the scandal of the day it's a great show.

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Catherine Vincent Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 09:49 PM
Response to Reply #11
12. When the Rove situation gets hot (Friday I hope), Keith will
have Shuster on a lot. I rather Shuster than that nose in the air VanDeHei, or whatever his name is.
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Doctor_J Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-01-06 09:57 PM
Response to Original message
13. Mlbank and Fineman are liberals?
they're two of Smirk's most devoted whores.

Take a break from the WH Kool-Aid
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Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 04:37 PM
Response to Reply #13
29. Deleted message
Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.
 
hexola Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 05:48 AM
Response to Original message
15. The production values get in the way...
I like Kieth - but his show sucks...too stylized...too much Britany Spears...too much O'Reily hate...its like the same thing over and over.
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spooky3 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 06:01 AM
Response to Original message
16. why don't you email the show and ask Keith?
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ShortnFiery Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 07:50 AM
Response to Reply #16
19. His show is too controlled, and as much info-tainment as
Nancy Grace. I know a lot of people love Keith, but IMO, facts are facts.
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spooky3 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 12:30 PM
Response to Reply #19
22. possibly, but it never hurts for a show to hear from viewers
when they have good ideas.
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Joe Fields Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 07:49 AM
Response to Original message
18. Comfort zone.
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LibDemAlways Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 09:05 AM
Response to Original message
20. I don't think Olbermann has much say
over guests or content. The other night he prefaced a long segment about Tom Cruise with the comment that the network suits made him do it. I believe him. He has to work around narrow confines.
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killerbush Donating Member (822 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 09:14 AM
Response to Reply #20
21. I don't buy it
I think Keith has as much say over his show as Tweety and Scarborough do. The show is getting a little stale. New guests might zip it up a little.
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NYCGirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 12:38 PM
Response to Reply #20
23. He says his producers "made him cover" some things. Those are NOT the
network suits.
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LibDemAlways Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 01:35 PM
Response to Reply #23
24. The producers have to take marching orders from the
suits to keep their jobs. I think the pressure on Olbermann must be tremendous.
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NYCGirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 01:43 PM
Response to Reply #24
25. It's less than you would think. Rick Kaplan, President of MSNBC, is a big
fan of Olbermann.
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wizdum Donating Member (531 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 04:38 PM
Response to Original message
30. Probably some kind of corporate quota thing behind it...
...since they are trying to promote publications connected with the corporate parent of MSNBC. He should definitely try to spice up his show with some new blood though to keep it fresh.
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chimpymustgo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 04:48 PM
Response to Reply #30
32. Good cop/bad cop. KO keeps his "credibility."
And he gets to show his intellectual disdain for the Paris Hiltonatia.
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wizdum Donating Member (531 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-02-06 04:56 PM
Response to Reply #32
33. Good point, chimpymustgo.
I like your name, BTW. It rocks. :headbang:
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